Data communication between aircraft beyond line-of-sight requires contact with one or more ground stations. Communication through one or more ground stations causes latency and adds cost. Data communication between aircraft would be advantageous for sharing flight relevant data such as lighting, icing, turbulence, wind and other weather, radar, NEXRAD and any other data that could be time critical to a flight. On-board aircraft computers could incorporate such data to produce a flight plan or otherwise optimize features of an aircraft route or other properties.
Existing satellites are configured to relay data between ground stations. Such satellites have limited ability to route data traffic and no practical ability to route data traffic between moving aircraft. Consequently, it would be advantageous if an apparatus existed that is suitable for facilitating data communication between aircraft beyond line-of-sight through a satellite data link.